deep_diver

I am new to the forum so thanks in advance to all that participate. I consider myself a low intermediate photographer. My wife and I are planning a safari trip to South Africa this fall. I would like to take my Canon 300 f2.8, my Canon 70-200 and a 28-200 3.5-5.6 plus my 7D MII. When I put all this in my 4.5lb Tamrac Backpack it weighed 20lbs.
On the flight from Johannesburg to Kruger park you are limited to 18lbs. carryon and 50lbs checked luggage. Obviously, I have no idea how photographers get their equipment there. I have not even included a small laptop, extra camera and binoculars, none of which I wish to put on checked luggage. All the pictures on the web from Kruger show jeeps full of photographers with huge lenses. How do they get them there? I do not even know if you can get through with a photo vest on which could hold the smaller lenses
and binoculars. I have made numerous trips to Bonaire and carried my 500 f4 lens around my neck and just stowed it at my feet,. My pack pack probably carried 40lbs of equipment, also. Other than buying an extra ticket on the shuttle flight I am in a quandary. One alternative is purchasing a Canon 100-400 which is highly recommended
on Safari and my wife is now retired and would make good use of it in Arizona during the winter months while she escapes the wonderful Illinois winters. Even replacing the 300 f2.8 with the 100-400 does still not give you much weight advantage. Any and all help is appreciated.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Can some portions of the gear be shipped via such services as UPS, held for your arrival and subsequently shipped back at the conclusion of your journey?

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

Split the load between you and your wife.

deep_diver

We will try this but she is also photographing and taking 2 Rebels and a couple of smaller lenses. Will get out the scale and backpacks and see what we can do.
Thanks so much.

deep_diver

If I can find someone or place reliable enough to trust, this is a viable option. Thanks

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Consider renting a 100-400 for this trip... A vest might work but the larger lenses won't fit! And with the smaller planes they may weight everything you are carrying on. Do you really need all three lenses? Everything I read says that on safari the vehicles stir up a lot of dust and you shouldn't plan on changing lenses during the day. Perhaps just plan on one good lens and plan on cropping for those shots where you might have used the 300.

cthahn

How do you expect to use all these lenses? You have a 28-300 and a 70-300. That is a duplication. List all your lenses and write down how many times they are used. If you need a different lens for every picture you take, you will spend more time changing lenses than taking pictures.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

100-400, no doubt lens.

peferguson

I am taking my family to the Masai Mara this summer and will use a Canon 5D4 and 7D2 with a 100-400mm and 500/f4. I will use my wife's small SL1 with 18-55mm for landscapes. I never change lenses in the field in Africa!! The 100-400mm and camera body can go around my neck for the flight to keep the weight down. I don't know the exact weight, but it is pretty light without one camera body and a 100-400mm in the bag for the bush flight.

I might add a 1.4XTC III to the 100-400mm to give you the option for extra reach without adding much weight. If you are in a location that only allows driving on roads in the park, then you will probably want as much reach as you can get.

jgunkler

1. Ditch the 70-200. It doesn't have enough reach to be useful there. The 300mm will do just fine. You don't need f/2.8 on this trip.
2. Use a safari/photographer's vest. You CAN fit everything on your list in one, although it would be a little uncomfortable until you remove it and put it in the overhead. I don't carry all that stuff in my vest, but a couple of (even large) lenses plus the extra batteries, memory cards, will go in a vest nicely. Play with moving things from camera bag to beat until the bag it's light enough. (Airlines don't check on the weight of your vest.)

BigRedRex

I did a safari in Botswana with a Tamron 18-300 and the Canon 100-400. I did not need anything else. I am about to do that trip again and will not take anything other than these two.

Benttree Loc: GA.

Deep driver,
I used to travel with my Canon 5D MIII and canon 7D with L series Canon lens collection, the weight was 27 Lb and +.
I do still have my loved Canon gear, but not any longer on the travel. I carry now on my travel two Sony mirrorless full frame cameras a 7II and R7II with three lenses. This pair is as well hi ISO noise free cameras, and 5 axis IS built into to the frame, we can't say that from our Canon gear?
My gear weight is now 11 Lb less on it total weight and at less on tension, dominating with smaller physical size equipment.
I have not been on the safari, but I would take my 100- 400mm with 1/4 X lens extender on it, and 24-70mm and 11-24mm. Faster the lens the better than you ending shooting on dim lights with long distances. Or you may like a just two zoom lenses and two cameras, no lens chancing on bumpy/dusty environment.
Ones in the life destination travel, two cameras is important. I was ones in the Cuba and my camera stopped on functions on my second day travel.
Some of you lenses you mentioned you repeat the lens coverage area mm. So,,, that is camera gear travel "waste" on the $ and Lb.by duplicating you coverage on the lens MM..

solomonv

I did a safari with a 18-55 and a 70-300; the only one I used is the 70-300.
There were a few times where the animals were actually too close for the 70 ( ! ) but that was rare, but there were times where I would have liked a little more reach so I may move to something like a 100-400.

Animals don't wait for you to change lenses. ;)

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Consider buying a Sony RX10iii for the trip and selling it when you get back. Or, you might end up selling all that Canon gear!

With an optional Sony case RX10iii will weigh 2.6 pounds and has a 35mm equivalent field of view from 24mm to 600mm. It is weather and dust sealed. Lens changing is eliminated. Packing will be a breeze!

A big bonus is the video capability just in case one of those amazing animals is moving! Lightroom has a tool buried in it to grab single frames from the video clips. I'm routinely making 13x19 prints that way now.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Sell it all and go with a Micro 4/3 system. You'll cut weight and bulk by 2/3.

Check out fellow Hogger and pro Daniel J. Cox' blog:

http://naturalexposures.com/corkboard/

Tons of resources there, from a REAL photo tour/safari veteran.